Homework’s no fun.

But when the students are parents and the subject is day care, study becomes all the more imperative.

Diane Coester has her hands full with, from left, Rachel McRae, 3 months, Samantha Williams, 17 months, Evan Lockett, 2, and Emma Gregory, 11 months. Coester runs Diane's Day Care, one of eight child care providers included next weekend in an organized tour for Lawrence parents.

A collection of Lawrence women who provide child care from their homes hopes to make it a little easier for parents to do their research. Diane Coester, who runs Diane’s Day Care from the basement of her home at 909 Pamela Lane, has organized a tour of eight child care homes in the city.

She and others on the tour, which will take place from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, are hoping to expose parents to home care and make them realize that home operations are as professional as any other.

“We’re all business women that are trying to make a living from our homes,” said Coester, who has offered home child care for 22 years. “We want to make home providers look professional.”

Added Nancy Winchester of Precious Child Day Care, 506 Riverbend Circle, “People need to realize we are regulated by the health department and the fire department.”

Home child-care providers must be licensed and adhere to the same regulations as other facilities, but women with houses on the tour said home care offered parents and children perks they couldn’t get at larger facilities.

“We’re small enough that children can get a lot of individual attention,” said Monica Franz, co-operator with Jamie Watt of Monica & Jamie’s Day Care, 911 Christie Court.

Until last year, the homes on the tour had been as full of children as law allows. Now, however, all the homes have openings and are accepting new children.

“I don’t understand why parents aren’t finding us,” Coester said. “We’re on referral lists.”

Although the tour will be small, with just eight homes, each facility offers slightly different services. Some specialize in certain age groups. Others, like Lori McCarty, who operates A Place to Grow at 540 N. 1700 Road, provide a wide-open country setting where children can play and learn. Winchester has a 12-seat van in which she loads children to go on field trips.

The women hope that, whatever their child care needs, parents will take advantage of the tour as an informal way to see what’s available in Lawrence.

“People feel like if they come and see you and don’t choose you, you’ll be mad at them,” Franz said. “We’re not going to be mad if they pick someone else.”

Staff writer Mindie Paget can be reached at 832-7187.